Guest Post: Acne Myths

If anyone knows about acne, it would be me. I’m forever fighting it and have been for, uh…I don’t know…a little over a decade now?

But as many products as I’ve used and as much as I’ve read about it, it doesn’t help to learn a little more. Guy blogger, Eric from Acne Remedies gives us the skinny on some acne myths. Brace yourself…

A chronic dermatologic condition such as acne can leave both physical and emotional scars on teens, especially in a society that values appearance so highly. Acne is a very common skin disease in the United States, affecting more than seventeen million teens and young adults. Compounding the difficulties with the problem is the tremendous amount of misinformation that still persists. Parents often are responsible for perpetuating these myths. In order to set the facts straight, here are some of the most common myths you are likely to hear.

Myth 1: Acne is caused by poor hygiene. Acne does not result from dirty or surface skin oils. Some parents would have their teens believe that kids without acne are somehow cleaner. Blackheads are the remains of dead skin surfaces, not dirt. Aggressive skin washing will in all likelihood aggravate pre-existing acne. The best approach to cleanliness is to gently wash your face twice daily with a mild soap and then pat dry before applying any of the anti-acne medications.

Myth 2: Acne is caused by diet. This is one of the oldest myths. Extensive scientific studies have not found a single connection between diet and acne. In other words, chocolate, french fries, pizza and other fast foods do not cause acne. It does make sense to limit fatty foods to prevent obesity and cardiovascular disease, however. Studies have shown that foods with a high iodine content (such as shellfish) may aggravate existing acne, but does not cause it.

Myth 3: Acne is caused by stress. The ordinary stress that teens experience on a day-to-day basis has nothing to do with acne. Ironically, many medications prescribed for stress or depression can cause acne as a side effect.

Myth 4: Acne is just a cosmetic disease and you will get scars if you keep picking.Yes, acne does affect the way people look and can result in permanent physical scars. However, squeezing blackheads rarely results in scarring. Picking and poking at acne lesions might make the lesions last longer and the temporary stain produced when a blackhead is squeezed will make the you appear to have more lesions than you actually do.

Myth 5: You just have to let acne run its course. The truth is acne can be cleared up. If the acne products you have tried haven’t worked, consider seeing a dermatologist. With the products available today, there is no reason why someone has to endure acne or get acne scars.

Eric Siu is the owner of the acne remedies blog How To Get Rid Of Pimples. He is
a graduate from the University of California, San Diego and is interested in fitness/
nutrition, football, and poker.

About Brittany

Brittany realized that she'd never achieve perfection and so she started a blog highlighting all of the things in her life that make her happy, however imperfect they are. She enjoys photography, reading, sipping green smoothies, listening to podcasts and acting like a 13-year old with her friends. Brittany is based in Orlando with her geek of a husband, 4-year old girly girl and her 1-year old sonshine.

It still baffles me, when people tell me, my acne will go away if I washed my face more often, not to mention, it irritates me very much, and I hate the lectures I have to endure because most people think my eating habits are the root of my acne problems! Thanks a lot for the information, people NEED to read this!